TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Be careful when going through your mail. If you haven’t already received your stimulus payment, it may arrive on a debit card, in a plain envelope.

Some have mistaken the debit card for a scam or credit card offer. Some even report that they destroyed the cards, before learning what it really was: their long-awaited stimulus payment.

“At the time, we didn’t know what it was,” said Judy Johnson, of Odessa. “I hadn’t heard of anyone getting it before, so I questioned it, so I called my credit union, and they weren’t sure that it was legal.”

Judy received this bad information after the IRS switched to this form of payment when many were expected a check.

Here’s what you need to know: the government really is sending out debit cards with stimulus money, but crooks are also already trying to trick people by sending copy cards and trying to get personal information.

That’s why it’s important to make sure your debit card is legit. The real card is issued by MetaBank. You’ll need to call the number on the back, confirm your identity and set up a pin to use the card.

You can either use the debit card to make purchases or use the card at an ATM. If you don’t want to keep your stimulus money on the card, the IRS recommends contacting your bank and transferring the money to your own bank account.

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